Wood towers for wind turbines

I always believed that wood towers for wind turbines were a solution possible only in small, domestic WTGs (somewhere around 10 kW to maybe maximum 100 kW). There are several example available, for instance this product of InnoVentum.

Well, I was wrong: I see that some years ago (2012) a Vensys 77 1,5 MW turbine has been installed on a 100 meters tower. That is quite a number: a 77 meters rotor is considered small for today standard, however it fully qualify as a “utility scale” solution.

This full scale prototype followed a 25 meters test tower built by the same companies some years before.

Developed by 2 German companies (TimberTower & TiComTec) it has been built near Hannover. The foundation is standard (concrete) and the connection between the tower and the foundation is made trough 4 meters long steel rods.

With a somehow unusual octagonal cross section the tower diameter is comparable to a standard concrete or steel solution. I see however that other geometries are possible (hexagonal or dodecagonal).

The life span of this solution looks similar to the steel alternative (20 years). Unfortunately I haven’t been able to find information regarding the cost. For the sake of clarity it is not 100% wood – few steel elements are used inside the tower.

 

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